The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-10
THE WILD WEST TWENTY YEARS AGO.
An Old Steamboatmah's Recollections of In
dams and Buffaloes Along the Missouri

IT have been reading the Last Buffalo Hunt
in the Journal" said Capt. ]. H. Oglesby. land
the writer speaks of herd of buffaloes. the
herds mentioned containing eight or ten of those
animals. In 1865, directly after the war-less
than twenty-five years ago-I was put in COM
mand Of a steamboat to take cargo of mer-
cbandise from St Louis up the Missouri river to
Fort Benton. All the boats that can navigate
the upper portion OF the Missouri river are
necessarily small. and my boat was no excep-
tiou The river is wide there is great deal of
water, but it is scattered. The sand in the
river is constantly shifting, changing the
channel. and there is no deep water. This pre-
vents boats from running at night and each
night we tied up, to continue our voyage when
daylight reappeared We had about 800 tons of
freight to carry 1900 miles by river Not a
man on the boat, myself included, had ever
gone up the Missouri, though we were familiar
enough with steamboating on the Ohio and Mis-
sissippi. In consequence, our trip up the river
was very slow. requiring sixty-two days for its
accomplishment
After We got above Sioux City we had to cut
our own wood, as there we're no wood lizards.
We would stop at g good bottom. where there
would be fine growth of timber, and then
we would cut from about o'clock in the
afternoon until 10 o'clock at night, which would
give us wood enough to run the next day Much
of the time we had to feel our way along with
line and lead Above Sioux City we frequently
saw deer on the river bank. and after we got
above Fort Randolph we saw great numbers of
deer, antelope elk and buffalo Such game as
deer and elk often found in the bottoms
among the timber. The buffaloes were never
found there, but upon the bluffs the prairie.
tlxy ~ NTH, ,An
seldom failed to get game. One day | was
walking through the bottoms to the bluff when
herd of elk trotted by me- | counted 200 in
that herd and that was not all of them. That
was the first herd of elk l ever saw, and shot
and killed a very fine one among the stragglers.
Fort Randall is 1870 or 140 miles above Sioux
City, and thought when saw it that it would
make the loveliest site for 8 town of any place
saw upon the river.
II had some dispatches for the colonel COM
handing at Fort Rice, where there were $50 or
400 soldiers. There were couple of six-pound-
ers at the fort. AS we came IL sight of the fort,
back on the high ground. we saw a large num-
Der Of tepees, Indian lodges. AS 1 went on
shore l noticed big Indian on the bank He
appeared quite amiabe and welcomed me with
How, how Indian fashion. He was magnif-
cent specimen of physical manhood, six feet one
or two inches high and, though between fifty
and sixty years old, as straight as an arrow.
Lo walked beside me to the fort and went in
with me. In conversation with the colonel L
his neiehbors in the tepees, They fought
me for two days last week. said
the colonel, and that complacent
| looking rascal who sits beside you
ceeded in driving them back until got out a
| six-pounder! The colonel then went on to say
| that he had talked with my acquaintance
! through an interpreter, ana found that the In
dams were expecting United States commission
ers to come along i'll few days, and my red
| friend was asked why he had made an assault
! upon the fort when expecting the commission
| ers so soon who would hear their grievances.
To this the chief had replied that there was a
| great deal of property in the forr in
| GLIDING some horses, mules, blankets and
| powder. and he thought he could
| treat with the commissioners quite as
well after taking those things. as before taking
them. The astounding check of this savage
| quite paralyzed the colonel for time. His name
was Matanoopah, Two Bears or rather Two
Grizzly Bears and he wore necklace of bears
claws. Fort Rice was six miles above the mouth
| of the Cannon-ball river The bed of this
stream is composed of gravel of different sizes.
| You will find them from the size of musket
ball up to a large cannon ball or larger; some are
| foot and a half in diameter. All are perfectly
! round-hence the name of the river.
Fort Berrhold is on the north side Of the
| Missouri. about two hundred miles below the
| mouth of the Yellowstone. We stopped there
| about dusk. There were remnants of three In
dian tribes there, living together in permanent
| village of about seven hundred popuation-As-
| siniboines, eros Ventres and Arickarees. Fort
| Berthod was not military station, but Atrad
ing post. A gentleman named Wright. who had
been in the employ of the American Fur Com
| pany, and who spoke several Indian tongues,
| proposed to show me through the village. After
supper we heard the tum-tum of the Indian
| drums, and Wright said it was party of young
bucks out serenading the bellies, and such
it proved to be. There was
drum, hollow piece of a tree with the end covered
while others heat sticks together, accompany n e
the drum, and others gave monotonous chant
which they called singing, but which was utterly
without melody. We followed the bucks around
while and then, following Wright. entered ar
Indian wigwam. There was hatful of fire il
the center of this wigwam, which very
large one, and to me it seemed there was no one
at home. did not approve of this unceremonious
way OF entering the red mans castle, but Wright
said we we're exactly in line with the manners
little FIRE and wait He drew out pipe, lighted
it. and pulled away After smoking about five
minutes, we heard grunt from out the dark
ness and an elderly Indian rolled out t.
US from the side of the tent He sat dowr
beside US, took the pipe and smoked away il
silence for time. Then three or four othe
Indians came as shadows out of the darkness
and sat down, one after another, in the circle
formed about the fire. and the pipe was passed
round. All this time we saw nor heard an,
women. Wright asked them to sing They suns
what he said was the Green Corn song, then
war song, which sounded exactly like the former
vocal performance men Lney gave vi
the scalp song and dance. Wright asket
if some of the young men would no
give love song. They began with very litt
persuasion, and as their voices rose for mo
ment above the usual monotonous pitch. W,
heard squeal, and out jumped young Indian
| girl, who began dancing what Wright told M
was the love-dance. The fire gave but littl,
light. but her dress SO simple that think
can give it, even after this lapse of years, in the
mnutest detail This sixteen-year-old Indiar
belle, dancing the love-dance had an eagle-feath
er in her hair, tomahawk in one hand and
pair of anklets on her feet, and that all this
gentle savage wore. Even the society bellies il
Washington dress somewhat more than this.
sat Fort Rice bought two bullocks of
trader and slaughtered them the bank, thu
cook dressing them there and carrying the bee
on the boat As the dressing of the meat wa
going on an 1Rdian sat watching the operation
with longing eyes and juicy mouth. At last
approaching the cook, by means of signs h
made that functionary to understand that h
would very much like to have the entrails H
was given them. and accepted this refuse with
| great show of thankfulness We watched hin
from the boat He laid off his blanket an
gathering. up sticks built fire. Then h,
took the intestnes of the two builock
and stripping them, though not washing them
he wound them carefully round stick which h
sharpened at one end. Sticking this into the ground
the cooking went on, the roast being turned fror
/ time to timr SO that each part exposed t
the fire. TIE, Indian seated himself right there
and, taking this savory morsel from the stick
| hopo htCf frrA